Gretchen De Silva, Ph.D., M.P.H. is a lecturer and advisor for the Public Health Science program. She has an additional appointment as assistant clinical professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Dr. De Silva received her Ph.D. in virology from the Johns Hopkins University as part of a joint program with the National Institutes of Health, where she conducted her research. She focused on examining the molecular mechanisms of cell entry for the vaccina virus and developing immunologic tools for blocking that entry. For her postdoctoral work she completed an M.P.H. in infectious disease epidemiology at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health and worked closely with the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatments Programs in Kenya. Her research focused on reasons why patients with HIV drop out of treatment and analysis of a program for tracing such patients.

In spring of 2016 Dr. De Silva initiated the founding of the College Park chapter of Students Engaged in Public Health (SEIPH) and now serves as its faculty advisor. SEIPH is a Public Health Science student group, which is focused on creating a space for student networking as well as serving the local community.

Education and Training

Ph.D. Virology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

M.P.H. Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY

Courses

EPIB 301: Epidemiology for Public Health Practice

MIEH 400: Introduction to Global Health

PHSC 415: Essentials of Public Health Biology: The Cell, the Individual, and Disease